Water filler for sterilizers



May 16, 1933. J. H. CASTLE ,336

WATER FILLER FOR STERILIZEBS Filed June 25, 1929 t INVENTOR 06/112 azafile/ n55 ATTORNEY Patented May 16, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN H. CASTLE, or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T WILMOT CASTLE COMPANY,

OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK 4 WATER FILLER FOR S'IEIRILIZERS Application filed June 25,

The present invention relates to Water fillers for sterilizers.

' The invention is particularly directed to a water filler construction employed in conjunction with a sterilizer and in which filler an air vent or air venting means is provided An object of this invention is to providea novel filler which provides a continuous and permanent connection between the water supply leading to the filler on the one hand and the sterilizer on theother while at the same time arranging an air vent so that the water flowing to the sterilizer cannot pass out through the vent and one aspect of the in.-

vention relates to the constructional features of the filler. Another object of the invention according to a more specific aspect thereof is to provide a construction for preventing the escape of steam from the sterilizer through the air vent or air venting means of the filler when the filler is in place on the sterilizer. and more particularly to prevent the escape of steam from the sterilizer due to a water seal construction provided in the conduit of the filler that leads to the sterilizer.

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts of all of which will be hereinafter described: the novel features being pointed outin the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view of a sterilizer equipped with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is avertical section through one embodiment of the filler; and i Fig. 3 is a vertical section through another embodiment of the filler.

In an application filed by me is disclosed a filling device for a sterilizer in which an 1929; Serial No. 373,552.

air gap is provided between the sterilizing .chamber and a water supply to prevent a suction in the water supply drawing the contents of the sterilizer into the water supply pipe to contaminate the water supply. In the construction therein illustrated. the water filler does not provide a continuous conduit to thesterilizer and is required to be moved. 'with the opening and the closing of the sterilizer.

In this invention the filler is a. rigid or permanentconnection between the Water sup ply pipe and the sterilizer and has an air vent so protected that the water in passing through the filler cannot issue from the vent.

Retcrr ng more particularly to Fig. 1-01? the dra wmg, 1 indicates the sterilizer having a h-1ngedtop closure 1 and 2 the overflow pipe which-leads from the upper part of the sterlhzing chamber and connects by pipe 3 with the sewage system. A drain connection not shown leads as usual from the bottom 'of the sterilizer, While a water supply pipe 41- connects with the water filler which is controlled a valve 5. This filler is connected to the sterilizer 1 at the upper part thereof, as 1s clearly shown in the drawing.

Two forms of the water filler are shown, one 1n F 1g. 2 and the other in Fig. 3. In the form shown in Fig. 2, 6 indicates the casing of the tiller which, in this instance, has in its lower or under side an intake opening 7 with the screw threaded walls of which engage the Water supply pipe 4. The opening 7 provldes a water inlet into and through which water is delivered in an upward direction into a water receiving section or chamber of the filler. This casing has a side chamber section providing a relatively large discharge conduit having at the lower terminal thereof an outlet 8 surrounded by a vertical attaching flange 9 which is secured in any suitable manner about an opening 10 in a vertical side wall of the sterilizer. The interior of the casing has a passage 11, closed except at its ends, in the form of a return bend connecting the inlet side of the casing with the outlet side and more particularly with the side chamber section of the casing, 100

the highest portion 12 of this bend, which is an inverted U-shape bend, being situated above the outlet 8 and adjacent the top of the casing. .The passageway 11 is a relatively small conduit and because of the shape thereof it leads upwardly from the water inlet and then curves so as to lead downwardly and terminates in a small outlet that directs water downwardly into and along one side of the large throat portion at the top of the large discharge conduit and it will be noted from an inspection of the drawings that this large conduit extends downwardly, thence laterally so that the outlet 8 thereof is located below and laterally or at one side of the throat portion-just mentioned.

In order to avoid any suction which might be present in the water supply piping withdrawing any of the contents of the sterilizer, an air vent is provided in the filler and which air vent leads directly from the interior of the 'air chamber or venting section of the filler directly to the atmosphere. In this instance, the casing of the filler is provided above and at one side of, viz., in spaced relationship with respect to, the passageway for the infiowing water which passageway, as above indicated, is closed except at its ends with a chamber 13 the bottom wall of which is formed by the impervious top wall 14 of the return bend 11. The chamber 13 provides the air chamber previously mentioned and is in fact separated from the water receiving chamber by a part of the structure that defines the small inverted U-shaped conduit or water receiving chamber 11. This air chamber 13 communicates with the inflowing passageway or water receiving chamber on the inner side of the return bend 11 at 15 and is provided with one or more air ventlng openings providing an air venting means 16 to the atmosphere on the opposite side of the return bend. These openings 16 provide air vents which are above the highest liquid level of the sterilizer. It will be seen that the inflowing water passes through the filler with-- out issuing from the vents or ports 16 while at the same time the vents or ports break any suction existing in the water supply pipe and prevent the drawing of any of the contents of the sterilizer into the water supply pipe. The air chamber or air chamber section 13 may be and sometimes is referred to herein as the air venting section or air venting chamber and it has communication with the interior of the sterilizer solely through the large conduit that includes and leads from the large throat portion downwardly and finally laterally outwardly to the outlet 8. As the filler connects with the sterilizer below its lid but adjacent the top of the sterilizer, it is impossible for water to flow from the sterilizer into the water supply pipe by gravity. The high point of the return bend is preferably arranged above the top edge of the sterilizer so that water will run over the upper edge of the sterilizer before it will flow into the water supply pipe.

In the form-shown in Fig. 3, the parts are the same except that in the passageway between vent openings 16 and the discharge opening or outlet 8 is arranged a water seal 17. This is provided when it is desired to prevent the escape of steam by way of the vent openings 16 for it will be apparent that 1 steam from the sterilizer will issue from such parts 16 in the form shown in Fig. 2.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A water filler comprising a casing including an upper chamber section having communication at one end with the atmosphere, a lower chamber section'adapted for connection with a source of water supply and a side chamber section adapted for connection with a receptacle, the side chamber, the top portion of the said lower chamber and the bottom portion of the said upper chamber being in communication with each other, the wall separating the said upper and lower chambers being impervious and forming an inverted U-shaped passage whereby water from the lower chamber will be delivered in a downward direction into the side chamber.

2. In combination, a sterilizer and a water filler casing connected at one end to a side wall of the sterilizer just below but adjacent the top of the sterilizer, which water filler casing has an upper chamber in communication with the atmosphere through an air vent, a lower chamber adapted for connection with the source of water supply and a side chamber which provides the connection with the sterilizer, the side chamber, the top portion of the lower chamber and the bottom portion of the upper chamber being in communication with each other, the wall separating said upper and lower chambers forming an inverted U-shaped passage whereby water from the lower chamber is delivered in a downward direction into the side chamber, the air vent being above the highest liquid level of the sterilizer.

3. A water filler comprising a casing including a side chamber section having an inlet and outlet at opposite points and a section for containing a water seal intermediate said inlet and outlet, an upper chamber section having communication w'th the atmosphere at an upper portion th reof, said upper chamber being in communication at its lower end with the inlet end of the side chamber, and a lower chamber section adapted for connection with a source of water supply, said lower chamber being in communication with the inlet end of said side chamber, the casing having an impervious wall that separates the upper and lower chamber sections, and that serves in defining a passage closed except at its ends, and having the outline of a return bend for directing the water leaving the lower chamber in a downward direction into the inlet end of the side chamber.

4. In combination, a sterilizer and a water filler casing connected at one end to a side wall of the sterilizer just below but adjacent the top of the sterilizer, which water filler casing has a venting chamber in communication with the atmosphere through an air vent, a water receiving chamber adapted for connection with a source of water supply and a side chamber which provides for the connection with the sterilizer, the delivery portion of the water receiving chamber and the venting chamber being in communication with said side chamber, the water receiving chamber comprising a structure providing an inverted U-shaped passageway whereby water is delivered in a downward direction from the water receiving chamber into the side chamber, a portion of the structure which provides the inverted U-shaped passageway also providing an impervious separating wall between the water receiving chamber and the venting chamber, the air venting means being above the highest liquid level of the sterilizer and also above the delivery end of the inverted U-shaped passageway, and the structure providing the U-shaped passageway being located sufiiciently above the highest water level possible for the sterilizer whereby water will overflow from the sterilizer before it can flow from the sterilizer through the inverted U-shaped passageway into the water supply.

5. A water filler comprising a casing including a water receiving section constructed so as to provide an initial water inlet at the lower or under side of the section through which incoming water is delivered into the section in an upward direction, a small water outlet and an inverted U-shaped conduit leading upwardly from said initial water inlet, curving until it extends downwardly and finally terminating in said small water outlet whereby water passing through said conduit is delivered in a downward direction, a side chamber section constructed so as to provide a large inlet throat, a final outlet at one side of and below the large inlet throat and a large conduit extending downwardly from the large inlet throat portion thereof and finally terminating in said final outlet, and a venting chamber section having air venting means providing communication with the atmosphere, the structure that provides the small U-shaped conduit having an impervious wall that separates the water receiving chamber from the venting chamber, the arrangement of the inverted U-shaped conduit and of the small outlet thereof in re spect to the large inlet throat and the structure providing the large conduit being such that the water from the small outlet is delivered downwardly and inwardly within and along one side of the large inlet throat, the venting chamber being in communication at its lower end with that portion of the throat of the relatively large discharge conduit which is spaced from that portion of the throat into and along which the water is delivered by said inverted U-shaped conduit, the venting means of the venting chamber being located entirely above the small outlet which provides the terminal of the inverted U-shaped conduit.

JOHN H. CASTLE. 

